Never Before
by AnimeFreak4261
Summary: AkatxMulan cross. Desperate for help,the Emperor sends a letter to his friend's grandson,who happens to be the leader of a certain organization.Will the soldiers crack under the intense training of Itachi,Kisame,Deidara and Sasori? Full sum inside no pair
1. Arriving

Never Before

**Summary:** With the Huns closing in, the Emperor fears his kingdom will be destroyed. The new soldiers are clearly not ready and the Imperial Army does not have enough men for a war. Desperate, he sends his fastest messenger to the only person he can think of who can help them. He had heard of a deadly group of ninjas in Japan and hoped they would help. What he doesn't know is the leader of the group is his old friend's grandson and he decides to help his grandfather's friend. Will the soldiers be able to survive the intense training, or will the ninja have to stay and help with the war themselves? AkatsukixMulan crossover. Inspired by the video We Are Akatsuki! by Night Gaze and me loving the Akatsuki, add in me thinking of how awesome it is that the Akatsuki could beat the shit out of them and you get this. No pairings.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or Mulan or the Akatsuki, but I own the idea.

"Akatsuki kick ass" talking

_'Akatsuki kick ass' thoughts/flashbacks/dreams_

**'Akatsuki kick ass' any inners, I will tell you who**

-Akatsuki kick ass- noises

**Emperor's Palace**

The light tapping of feet against the tiled floor broke the silence as the old emperor paced anxiously, awaiting news about the new soldier's training. He knew they wouldn't be ready in time for the Huns, but he had to hope. He sighed, annoyed. Calling for one of his servants, he asked them to fetch him a messenger bird. Bowing, the servant left, hurriedly returning with the bird he requested. The Emperor dismissed him; sitting at his desk to write a letter to the only person he could think of who could help. Scratching his head, he began the letter formally, but scrunched it up after a bit, shaking his head and beginning again. The sound of the Emperor writing was the only sound to be heard in the pressing silence. Soon though, another sound broke the silence; the sound of the Emperor chuckling as he finished the letter. Reading it over to see if there were mistakes, he nodded and folded it, tying it to the leg of the bird and telling it of its destination, he watched it become a speck in the distance, hoping against hope that the man he had heard of would agree.

**Forest Just Outside of Akatsuki Hideout**

The rare bird flicked its head slightly before being silenced with deadly aim. Catching the corpse of the bird, the man, with hair the color of the sun and eyes as deep and cruel as an ocean, tore the note from its leg. Seeing it addressed to his leader, he immediately left for the hideout in which he resided.

Knocking on the black oak door, a faint click was heard as it was unlocked. He opened the door, almost seeing some of the suffocating darkness leak from within. Stepping inside and into the glaring spotlight, the man bowed low, the tips of his bangs brushing the floor before rising at signal from his leader, who questioned him with hard, demonic eyes. Seeing he was not in a patient mood, the man bowed again and spoke, his rich voice filling the silence.

"Leader-sama, I found this bird while scouting around the hideout." he reported, producing the bird. The leader took it, examining the color. Placing it aside, he nodded to the blonde man to continue. "Attached to it's leg was a letter addressed to you." he finished, stepping forward, keeping his eyes down out of respect and fear, he handed the letter to the dangerous man before stepping back and bowing again, standing still in the glaring light in case the man needed anything. Silence claimed the room once again as the leader read the unknown letter.

**Dear honored leader of the infamous assassin group, Akatsuki,**

**I have written this letter to you in a time of dire need. A war is closing upon us and I request your, or that of your ninja's, help. New soldiers are in the midst of training, but I fear they will not be done in time. The Imperial Army will not last long in a war against our enemies, the Huns. Please send a return letter, by either bird or one of your ninja with a reply. I sincerely hope you will help us, for if not I fear the Imperial Kingdom will fall and the Huns will rule China, spreading to other countries in their power. None will be safe from their wrath, so I beg you, as the Imperial Majesty, to help us.**

**Please send a swift reply; we do not have much time.**

** His Imperial Majesty and ruling Emperor of China.**

A cruel smirk slowly spread its way across the leader's hidden face as he silently chuckled to himself. Looking up at the blonde man still occupying the room, head bowed, the leader spoke for the first time, a deep rumbling voice seeming to sprout from the darkness with the harshness of sandpaper and the sharpness of broken glass to scrape over the man's ears.

"Deidara, go and fetch me Zetsu, Itachi, Kisame, and Sasori. When you are done, you will return to this room. You all have a new mission, and this one will take you to a new country with new challenges, thought I'm sure you can handle them." he stated lowly, hissing the last part to give his voice a demonic edge, making Deidara flinch inwardly.

"Hai, Leader-sama." he spoke quietly, before bowing deeply and exiting the room, leaving the leader to his thoughts.

_'Well grandfather, I'm sure you would be surprised to find my organization is helping an old friend of yours. It's a miracle he's still breathing.' _he thought maliciously.

Another knock sounded on the door and the leader unlocked it with his chakra. Opening the door, 5 men, including Deidara stepped through, closing it to the soft light of the hallway and stepping into the glaring spot light, now big enough to hold five people in its blinding light. Deidara stepped forward and bowed deep.

"I have brought you Akasuna no Sasori, Hoshigake Kisame, Uchiha Itachi, and Zetsu, as you requested Leader-sama." he stated, each person bowing as their name was said. The leader waved his hand and they all straightened.

"You four will be going to China to help train their soldiers to withstand the attack of the Huns. The man requesting our aid is the Imperial ruler of China, and my grandfather's friend, so do not screw this up. You will stay until the training has been completed, and if needed, to help fend off the Huns. Zetsu, you are not to be noticed. You will be watching and sending me detailed reports daily of the process. You leave tomorrow, 4 a.m. so go prepare and sleep. You have a long journey ahead of you and I don't need someone dying of exhaustion. Dismissed." he finished. The five men bowed deeply and exited the suffocating darkness. Walking down the dimly lit hallway, the tallest one of the group started a conversation.

"So, how long do you think we'll have to travel to get there?" he asked casually. At first, no one responded to the question until Deidara spoke up.

"Well Kisame, at least a week..."

"Longer." a silky voice cut across, surprising Deidara and the shark-man termed Kisame. "We will be traveling at least three weeks at best to get to the Imperial Kingdom in China. That's only if we enhance our speed with chakra." monotoned the ebony haired man. Grinning with a shark-like quality, Kisame answered his partner.

"Well then, we better get packing if we're gonna be traveling as long as Itachi says we are." the other two nodded decidedly. Coming to their rooms, Deidara waved to the other team before entering his room with his partner, Kisame doing the same on their side. Calmly entering the plain room, the man named Itachi strode silently over to his black oak dresser and opened one of its many drawers, pulling out a belt packed with scrolls, some empty loops to be seen. He then walked over to his side table and unlocked the top drawer with his chakra, pulling it open. Inside, he pulled out sox more scrolls, each a different color; black, blood red, white, dark purple, navy blue and silver, he strapped these to the black leather belt and closed the drawer, relocking it and setting the belt on top of the side table. he looked over to his partner who was looking at him and glared, breaking whatever trance Kisame was in. He laughed nervously, apologizing before repeating everything Itachi had done; expect his six scrolls were navy blue, teal, aqua, sky blue, baby blue and ocean blue. Finished packing, he fell back onto the bed and fell asleep, hoping for as much rest as possible before morning, Itachi following suit.

**Next Day, 4 a.m., Outside of Hideout**

A cold wind whistled through the branches of the trees surrounding the hideout, tousling the hair of the blonde as he growled in frustration, grabbing his hair roughly and shoving it out of his face, only to have it blown back a few seconds later. Sighing in exasperation, he turned to Itachi, who stood ever silent.

"Oi, Itachi-san, when is Kisame going to come out of there? We're supposed to have left already." the blonde growled. Itachi opened his eyes to look at Deidara before shrugging. Sighing, Deidara decided to stand still and wait. For a few minutes, there was complete silence, until the door of the hideout was slammed open and Kisame came running out, looking extremely apologetic. All four of the others standing outside glared at him. Kisame sighed.

"Sorry guys, I got hung up on...something." he stated vaguely. The others looked at him, and then nodded before disappearing into the trees to start on their long journey to the Imperial Kingdom.

**Ok I'm gonna explain some stuff here. I'm not sure if the Akatsuki use backpacks, so I made them transfer their stuff to scrolls, which they can then summon when needed. I'm trying to make them well, unfriendly but it's really hard. Ok, continuing on. Oh and I'm skipping their entire journey. Oh! And in this story, kinda like in Clay and Puppets, Sasori is not a full puppet yet, as this happened before the Akatsuki started moving again. It's only his right arm that is wooden.**

**3 Weeks Later, Imperial Kingdom Soldier Camp**

Red eyes gazed about the camp set up in front of them, taking in every detail to store for future reference. Deactivating his bloodline trait, Itachi glanced over his shoulder at Deidara, Kisame, and Sasori, Zetsu already having dissolved into the surrounding forest.

"As I can see, there are approximately 300 soldiers, all of low skill level, some with none at all. I have located the person who is training these people, and if I am correct from my research, he is the son of the Imperial Army's general, Captain Shang Li. He is of slightly higher skill level, but still of no threat if he were to turn on us." Itachi finished, letting the others take in the information. Once everyone seemed prepared, they decided to approach Shang directly. Rising silently from the bush, they stepped clear into the sunlight and walked in a line, Itachi leading, Kisame taking up the back. As they passed the training soldiers, everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at the new comers. All were kept at bay by Itachi's murderous aura and Kisame's size as they approached Shang, who was bent over a map. As the came to a stop beside him, he looked up and glared at them through narrowed eyes.

"Who are you?" he demanded, angry and some strangers showing up to interrupt his training of the soldiers. Keeping a cold face, Itachi answered him calmly and in monotone.

"His Imperial Majesty has hired us to help train the soldiers to withstand the Huns' attack." He replied, handing Shang the letter, who took it, glared at it, the turned his attention back to Itachi.

"I don't need help from amateurs, so why don't you go back to where you came from, pretty boy." He growled back at Itachi, whose eyes narrowed slightly. Hearing the threat/insult, the other three started chuckling evilly. Kisame stepped forward, surprising Shang with his appearance.

"Excuse me, but you might not want to insult Itachi here." He told Shang, grinning around pointed shark teeth. Shang glared at him.

"What's he gonna do, shark-boy? Glare me to death? I don't think so. I am the son of the Imperial General. I could easily kill him if I wanted to." He shouted, gaining the attention of some of the soldiers outside, who gathered around the tent. Shang smirked. "In fact, I challenge pretty boy to a spar. We can do it privately if you want, less embarrassment…" He didn't get to finish as Itachi had already turned and started walking outside.

"No need." His short reply came, enraging Shang even more, stalking outside. By now, the entire camp had gathered and looked on in interest. Itachi's eyes swept over all of them, making some tense and most shiver. Itachi looked around and took in his surroundings. Behind him and Shang, who was across from him, were the edges of the forest. To his right, a few meters away, was a tall, wooden pole, behind it open field. To his left stood all of the soldiers to be trained, at least 4 meters away from them. Kisame, Deidara, and Sasori all stood in front of the pole in a line. Itachi turned slightly and started walking towards them, Shang behind him announcing the spar that was about to commence, getting everyone seated even in their anxiousness. Itachi merely shut him out and continued to remove his cloak, his scroll belt, his chest armor, his leg armor concealed by the cloth covering his legs, his head band, his kunai and shurikan pouches, and even his shoes before walking over to stand across from Shang once again. Kisame, setting Itachi's things on the ground, called to his partner before the battle began.

"Hey Itachi! Try not to kill him, and don't use your eyes." Itachi looked at him and nodded, confusing everyone who didn't know Itachi.

"Do not worry Kisame, I will have no need for my eyes. I don't think I will even need my ninjutsu or genjutsu." Kisame smirked as Shang became more confused.

'_Ninjutsu? Genjutsu? What are these guys? What do they mean by 'eyes'?'_ Itachi smirked at how confused Shang looked before speaking in a monotone.

"Can we start now?" he asked, silently mocking Shang, who smirked and nodded. The spar began and no one moved. Shang stood in ready position, while Itachi stood with his arms crossed, completely relaxed. Shang growled and charged at Itachi, who dodged the punch easily by stepping to the side, making Shang stumble over himself before he caught himself and turned quickly, trying to punch Itachi with his left hand, only to have it side stepped again, causing him to lose his balance and collapse onto the ground, face smothered in the dirt. Itachi smirked, watching Shang try to gather his pride and charge at him once again. This time, Itachi didn't move and instead caught Shang's fist, kicking him in the stomach, sending him flying across the clearing and into a tree, splintering the bark. Shang opened his eyes and winced, clutching him stomach. He looked up and glared at Itachi, trying to stand, he ran at Itachi for the last time, but instead of grabbing it or moving, before Shang could even get close to Itachi, the Uchiha prodigy disappeared and Shang found himself pinned against a tree by his neck, onyx eyes boring into his. Itachi smirked and spoke, never taking his malicious eyes off of Shang (no pairing, remember? Sides I hate Shang).

"I do believe this 'spar', if you can call it that, is over." He stated, pulling away from Shang and turning swiftly, walking back to his partner. Shang sat against the tree, rubbing his neck, listening to the murmurs from the soldiers.

"Wow, I can't believe how fast Shang was beaten!"

"Ya, it had to be, like, three minutes or something."

"Man that guy is strong!"

"He didn't even have any weapons or armor!"

"Shang couldn't touch him at all!"

"He's so fast, it's incredible!"

Shang growled as he heard the fans this man had made out of his soldiers. Standing, he sighed and walked over to Itachi, how was now completely re-equipped, cloak and all.

"Good spar. You blew me out of the water." He stated dryly before turning to the soldiers and silencing them. "Listen up you maggots! You are to give these four your full attention, as they are now your new trainers. If you would please, introduce yourselves, show us something you can do specially, and say something about yourselves." Shang told them. Kisame, being closest to the right, went first.

"Hoshigaki Kisame, call me Kisame." He stated first. Moving on, he performed some hand seals and slammed his hands into the ground, water erupting from in front of them to create a giant tidal wave that washed over the awed soldiers. "Something about myself eh?" he said, standing up from the kneeling position he had been in. "Well, I used to be one of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist, who are a well known assassination group where I come from." He finished, showing his shark teeth as he grinned. Sasori went next.

"Akasuna no Sasori, call me Sasori." He monotoned. He then pulled a scroll from his belt and opened it, a puff of smoke appearing then dissolving into the air to reveal Hiruko. A collective gasp drifted through the air before Sasori put his puppet away. "As to something about myself, I am slowly turning myself into a puppet." This earned surprised gasps before the group settled again, Deidara's turn next.

"Deidara un. Just Deidara." He said calmly. Smirking, he removed his hand from his clay bag, squeezing it, before opening his hand to reveal a bird and three spiders. Placing the bird on the ground, the made the seal of the ram and another cloud of smoke erupted, this time revealing a giant version of the clay bird Deidara had just made. Hopping on it's back, it spread its wings and lifted it's creator into the air. Once high enough, Deidara dropped the clay spiders. Half way to the ground, he made the seal of the tiger and shouted 'katsu', making the spiders explode in the air. The bird slowly floated to the ground before disappearing. "And something about me…well, I have mouths on my hands." He grinned, showing them. The group was shocked into silence as Deidara finished and everyone turned expectant eyes on Itachi, who opened his eyes.

"Uchiha Itachi." He said calmly. Looking at Kisame meaningfully, who nodded and stepped behind Itachi, Itachi performed rapid hand seals, then, forming and 'o' shape with his hand, he blew into it, fire coming out the other end, forming and growing into a giant fire ball that slowly moved towards the crowd of soldiers, looking like the sun was gliding along the earth. Signaling Kisame, the shark-man performed the same hand seals from before, summoning another huge tidal wave to put out Itachi's fireball. Standing straight, he looked at the awed soldiers. "I killed my entire clan at the age of 13." He said, no emotion ever crossing his face. Shang stared at him before turning back to the crowd.

"Ok, with that done, everyone back to their tents. Your training with these guys begins tomorrow, so I suggest you all get a good amount of rest." He shouted, smirking at their distressed faces before dismissing them to their tents. He turned back to the ninja and bowed. "I apologize for my attitude earlier." Itachi nodded at him and Shang rose. "Please make yourselves comfortable." He said finally, leaving them to themselves and each other. As the ninja shrugged and headed into the forest to set up their camp, each had the same thought in his mind; tomorrow would be interesting.

**Ok, there's the first chap. To let you all know I'm working on updating my other fanfics. Visitors will be next, Unknown Sibling, Ultimate and Accidental are coming along and I have a new fanfic besides this one; The Survivor. Anyways I'll try and update any of them soon so hang in there.**


	2. Training Begins

Never Before

**Summary:** With the Huns closing in, the Emperor fears his kingdom will be destroyed. The new soldiers are clearly not ready and the Imperial Army does not have enough men for a war. Desperate, he sends his fastest messenger to the only person he can think of who can help them. He had heard of a deadly group of ninjas in Japan and hoped they would help. What he doesn't know is the leader of the group is his old friend's grandson and he decides to help his grandfather's friend. Will the soldiers be able to survive the intense training, or will the ninja have to stay and help with the war themselves? AkatsukixMulan crossover. Inspired by the video We Are Akatsuki! By Night Gaze and me loving the Akatsuki, add in me thinking of how awesome it is that the Akatsuki could beat the shit out of them and you get this. No pairings.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or Mulan or the Akatsuki, but I own the idea.

"Akatsuki kick ass" talking

_'Akatsuki kick ass' thoughts/flashbacks/dreams_

**'Akatsuki kick ass' any inners, I will tell you who**

-Akatsuki kick ass- noises

**Oh and if I didn't already tell you, Itachi was named the leader of this thing.**

**Outside The Tents, 4:00 A.M.**

Itachi smirked maliciously in the darkness of the dawn, inwardly laughing at the torment he and his companions would put these soldiers through for the next week in their training. Itachi's blood red gaze drifted over to the blonde, who was grinning equally to himself. Giving an ever slight twitch of his head which could be classified as a nod, Deidara's grin grew wider and he opened his hand to reveal several clay white butterflies resting in his palm. Lifting his mouthed hand skywards, the butterflies fluttered off, much like the real thing. When they were at the right altitude, Deidara lowered his hand to place it in front of his mouth in the tiger symbol, his all so familiar cry echoing in the still dawn.

"Katsu!"

All at once, the butterflies exploded into multiples of colors, spreading across the brightening sky at a rapid pace, the explosion echoing throughout the clearing. All was still as the aftershock started, for about 2 seconds. All around the camp, yells and crashes could be heard as the soldiers desperately tried to get dressed in their armor and stumble outside while still half asleep, looking to see if it was an enemy attack. Shang calmly walked out of his tent, slightly disoriented but calm none the less. The Akatsuki members waited until all of the soldiers were assembled and listening before any of them spoke.

"Today, we begin your training," Itachi began in a cold voice, smirking as they all looked wearily at each other, "so I suggest all of you eat breakfast, because you will be undergoing some pretty gruesome tasks. In fact, don't bother, you'll just end up throwing it up later." he finished, turning to Shang and bowing slightly. "We have decided that, because they are your troops, you can begin the training with an exercise, to let us evaluate their abilities correctly." Shang nodded and bowed back, returning to his tent to retrieve a quiver of arrows and a bow. Smirking at his soldiers, he turned to the pole placed behind the assassins and angled the ranged weapon, releasing the arrow so it sailed through the air and implanted itself in the very top.

"Let's see if any of you can retrieve the arrow. Yao, why don't you start us off." Shang chuckled, gesturing towards the short man with the black eye. Said man growled and walked up to the post, bowing to Shang before cracking his knuckles. He bent down, ready to jump when Shang stopped him. "Wait, you're forgetting something." the man said mockingly, gesturing for the emperor's advisor to bring forth a box. Taking off the lid, Shang removed both of the weights from the box and slid one over Yao's wrist, lifting it into the air. "This," he said loudly, gesturing to the weight, "represents discipline." he stated, dropping the hand. Yao let his arm fall before pulling on the weight to lift it, feeling his other hand grabbed and the other weight put on it. "And this," Shang said, lifting Yao off the ground this time, the latter glancing nervously down before back at Shang, "represents strength." he finished, dropping Yao to the ground with a loud thud. The other soldiers snickered while The Akatsuki members just smirked. "You need both to reach the arrow." he stated smugly, watching as Yao glanced nervously at his hands, then at the arrow, resting in the top of the pole. Growling, Yao crouched and jumped on to the pole, scrambling up. Only a meter off the ground, the soldier started slipping. Realizing this, he dug his teeth into the pole, to no avail. He hit the ground and got up, grumbling. Itachi watched as everyone else tried and failed miserably to reach the arrow. Sighing quietly, he frowned and looked at the soldiers sulking on the sidelines. The raven stepped forward when all were finished and spoke up.

"From what we have seen, you are worse than even academy students. This exercise will be open through the nights if anyone wishes to try again. Each night, someone will be positioned at the top of the pole to keep track of anyone who tries. Now, the training you will be going through will be extremely intense, and some, or most, may not survive. Are you all up for it?" Itachi waited, seeing everyone hesitantly raising their hands. "Well too damn bad because now that your in my army, the only way out is death."

**Ok it gets confusing here but try to stay with me. Underlined is the lyrics, italicized is what is going on at that moment.**

Let's - _the ringing of metal on metal echoed through the clearing Itachi and his training group were positioned in. The men glance nervously at the Uchiha, who held many shurikan in his hands, eyes closed but radiating danger._

Get Down To Business - _Itachi's blood red eyes snapped open to glare at his group, who shrunk away from the intense gaze._

To Defeat - _the man stepped forward quickly, whipping his hands out in front of him, bringing them to his sides as he released the deadly weapons upon his group, who stood terrified against the trees surrounding their training space._

_Dull thuds of metal sinking into wood sounded in the silence. The men felt themselves pulled backwards by a force not recognizable._

The Huns - _the soldiers slowly opened their eyes to reveal they have been pinned to the trees they had been standing in front of by way of the throwing stars, Itachi glaring angrily at them._

Did They Send Me Daughters - _flashes of light exploded into the clearing, in sync with the sounds of a loud, thunder-like noise. Deidara smirked maliciously against the dark grey, cloud covered sky as he watched his group run between his creations._

­When I Asked - _Deidara's grin widened when he dropped another bomb particularly close to a certain soldier, letting it explode right as it hit the ground, spraying mud everywhere. Mulan felt herself thrown forward as the intense light blinded her for a split second._

For Sons_ - Said girl flew through the air, hitting the muddy ground hard, getting a mouthful of the disgusting, wet earth, mud staining her features._

You're The Saddest Bunch I've Ever Met - _sharp, pearly white teeth flashed in the sunlight as Kisame grinned sadistically at the rather overweight man in front of him, who happened to be holding a training wooden sword. The rest of his group stood in a circle around them to observe._

But You Can Bet_ - the shark man charged forward at lightning speed and appeared in front of his 'opponent', slicing the cheap imitation of a katana clean in half. Chien Po looked dazedly down at his sword before dropping it and running away from the grinning, blue man._

Before We're Through_ - Sasori gazed out at the group he was training, all testing their reflexes against wooden training dummies controlled by him. Ling was trying feebly to block the fast-moving puppet._

Mr. I'll_ - not seeing a quick turn made by the dummy, the skinny man got smashed in the head with one of the dummy's many outward sticking posts. He fell to the ground with a grunt, a black eye evident on his face._

Make A Man_ - the puppet master frowned deeply and got up, halting the other dummy's actions as he came to stand over the fallen man, glaring at him._

Out Of You_ - the soldier looks up at his trainer before bowing his head, shame evident in his eyes as the others stare at him._

Tranquil As A Forest - _the sounds of battle break the silence as a group of soldiers rushed at the elder Uchiha, intent on hitting him. Itachi, eyes closed, blocked their punches with ease._

But A Fire_ - eyes opening, Itachi dodged another punch as he leapt into the air, performing rapid hand seals of a familiar jutsu he learned so long ago._

Within_ - bringing a hand to his mouth, the man inhaled and blew out, fire shooting from his mouth to form a giant, flaming ball, easily the size of half of the larger clearing. Seeing the giant, molten ball heading at an ever growing pace in their direction, the soldiers turned and ran, some getting burned by the miniature sun following them._

Once You Find Your Center - _Ling rushed forward, intent on his target, his group watching his effort. Deidara stood calmly in the clearing, focusing on detecting his surroundings, clearly hearing the untrained man as he leapt into the air, speeding toward the blonde man with his foot positioned at jaw level_

You Are Sure - _eyes snapping open, Deidara grabbed the leg of the man, and grinning maliciously, pulled the appendage behind him, bringing Ling with it._

To Win - _Pushing off the ground with one leg, Deidara did a flip in mid-air, squarely kicking the man in the jaw, sending him flying into a nearby tree as the blonde landed gracefully on his feet._

You're A Spineless Pale, Pathetic Lot_ - the taks of wood against metal echoed in the surroundings. The blue man grinned malevolently as Mulan flinched away from the kunai as it struck her wooden sword again._

And You Haven't Got A Clue - _Mulan's eyes widened as a fist connected with her stomach painfully. Bending over, she felt a foot connect with her head as she was sent flying into the rocks beside her._

Somehow I'll_ - Yao and his group looked frantically around the clearing they were in, trying to find the red-head, who had disappeared earlier._

Make A Man_ - a rustling was heard overhead and they all looked up in time to see a puppet, claws extended and dripping with poison, plummeting down on them._

Out Of You_ - as a group, everyone cried out and rolled to the side, hoping to live another day._

I'm Never Gonna Catch My Breath_ - Chien Po and his group gasped for breath as they ran from the miniature sun that was bent on catching them, Itachi smirking mentally at their distress._

Say Goodbye To Those Who Knew Me_ - Yao and his group were up again, back to back and waiting for the next, and possibly final, attack_

Why Was I A Fool In School For Cutting Gym_ - Ling groaned as his teammates hoisted him up to his feet, rubbing his now extremely sore jaw as he looked at the still grinning blonde man_

These Guys Got Him Scared To Death_ - 'Hey, look over there.' 'Yeah, that's Captain Lee Shang.' Shang never heard their comments. He was intent on the shark man in front of him, flinching only when the blue man glanced at him._

Hope He Doesn't See Right Through Me_ - Mulan looked at Shang watching Kisame, noticing he flinched when her teacher looked at him. When he turned his gaze to her, Mulan ducked her head and quickly walked away, hoping he didn't notice her blush._

Now I really Wish That I Knew How To Swim_ - Seeing an escape at last, Chien Po jumped into the small lake. Resurfacing, he remembered he couldn't swim and began thrashing, slowly making his way to the edge where the raven haired man glared down at him._

We Are Men_ - Kisame's group stood, amazed, watching as the shark-man in front of them rapidly did hand signs, grinning toothily at them_

We Must Be Swift As A Coursing River - _shouting the name of his jutsu, the Nin let loose a huge tidal wave from his hands, watching as it smashed into the soldiers and slammed them all into rocks or trees dotting the landscape_

We Are Men_ - Tossing three of his signature clay birds into the air, the blond ninja expanded them, letting them float in the air above him and his group's heads_

With All The Force Of A Great Typhoon_ - Veering slightly away from the group, the birds began beating their wings in unison, creating a huge wind that blew the group back into trees, hard enough to splinter the thick, ancient bark._

We Are Men_ - standing utterly still, the redhead listened to the approaching, rapid footsteps of the group he was training. Lifting his kunai slightly, he prepared._

With All The Strength Of A Raging Fire_ - Sasori released the weapon, letting it soar through the air. Suddenly, it multiplied, all of the deadly weapons racing through the air carrying explosive tags as tails. Triggering the seals, the puppet master watched as the group was thrown back, all of them singed and beaten._

Mysterious As_ - the shuffling of worn feet broke the calm silence of the night as the battered, bruised, and badly beaten soldiers slowly made their way back to camp, helping others with more serious wounds limp along._

The Dark Side Of_ - stopping suddenly, the group wearily turned and faced the out-of-place shadow, atop the pole with the arrow_

The Moon_ - two blood red eyes watched them intently, never blinking as they all shivered under the malicious glare of the man, quickly walking towards the safety of their tents._

Time Is Racing Toward Us_ - Perched in the shadows, Itachi and his blue partner watched as their group walked hesitantly around the clearing, slowly approaching a bush that had been rustling, while others approached an out of place tree._

Till The Huns_ - nodding to his partner, the raven haired man pulled a thin, metallic string, the shark man doing the same. Below them, the group cried out in shock as kunai shot from the bush and tree, whizzing and plummeting towards them, missing by only a few inches._

Arrive_ - jumping down, the Uchiha prodigy and swordsman glared at the soldiers, disappointment evident._

Heed My Every Order_ - Elsewhere, the other soldiers were trying desperately to sneak between the trees of the forest to avoid their trainers. Behind said trees, Sasori and Deidara performed a combined jutsu, causing every one of the soldiers to sink into the ground, some desperately trying to move, only to make them sink faster_

And You Might_ - Standing, the blond and redhead walked over to them trapped soldiers, now only with their heads above the liquid earth_

Survive_ - both of the ninja frowned at the fallen men, clearly put out by their failure._

You're Not Suited For The Rage Of War_ - after being dropped off by her sensei, Mulan turned to head back to her abandoned tent, only to see Captain Shang slowly approaching her, holding the reins to her horse, and her things._

So Pack Up, Go Home, You're Through_ - shoving the objects at her, Shang glared angrily at Mulan, the disguised girl bowing her head in shame._

How Could I_ - turning around, Shang's plans to simply walk away failed when Itachi appeared behind him, glaring at him with what seems to be anger. Simply glaring back though obviously unnerved, the man skirted around the ninja, walking away from the man and girl._

Make A Man_ - Turning back to her other sensei, she saw him looking at her meaningfully, before turning his gaze to the pole holding the arrow, then returning his vision to her before leaving in a silent instant._

Out Of You_ - The soldier girl turned her gaze to where the raven had looked, to see the arrow embedded at the top of the pole. Staring at it for only slightly longer, her worry turned to determination as she strode up to the wooden shaft._

We Are Men_ - giving a small starting jump, Mulan tried to hold onto the pole but ended up falling off due to the weights. Looking at said objects, an idea started surfacing in her mind as she looked back at the pole._

We Must Be Swift As A Coursing River_ - throwing the weights around the pole and letting them wrap around themselves, the disguised girl dragged them up the wood of the pole and pushed against it with her feet, beginning her ascent._

We Are Men_ - with the sun rising, the other soldiers stepped out of their tents, greeted by the blazing ball and the sight of Mulan hoisting herself closer and closer to the top._

With All The Force Of A Great Typhoon_ - almost at the top, Mulan dragged her heavy arms up again, her foot slipping on a smooth piece of wood, the weights barely keeping her from her long drop._

We Are Men_ - Sweat beading her forehead, the girl lifted herself up, slowly placing her feet on the wood again to steady herself._

With All The Strength Of A Raging Fire_ - lifting herself slowly upwards, more sweat breaks out as the rising sun hits Mulan's face, lighting up her determined eyes._

Mysterious As_ - stepping out of his tent and into the cool morning air, Captain Shang flinched slightly as an arrow fell at his feet._

The Dark Side Of_ - Looking up, his eyes widened at seeing his men gathered around the pole, cheering at the one soldier on top._

The Moon_ - smiling down on her fellow soldiers, Mulan looked above her head to see Deidara, circling on one of his birds, smirking down at them._

We Are Men_ - looking upon the massive tidal wave racing towards them, the group dodged to the side quickly, avoiding the crushing force of the water._

We Must Be Swift As A Coursing River_ - racing quickly towards their trainer, the group splits up, four on each side of the shark man as they attack him with an assortment of kicks and punches, Kisame dodging and blocking them all, jumping over a hidden leg sweep._

We Are Men_ - Deidara watched as the eight soldiers under his command sped towards him, lowering himself into a defensive position to prepare himself._

With All The Force Of A Great Typhoon_ - the blond man blocked all of their attacks, being pushed back further with each weakened blow, pushing them off when he was done taking the attacks, smirking at his group._

We Are Men_ - running along a cleared path, Yao and the other 7 in his group watched closely for traps in their peripheral vision._

With All The Strength Of A Raging Fire_ - flaming needles suddenly sprung from the sides of the path, shooting lethally towards their targets. Yao and his group, seeing them, moved quickly and dodged them, continuing on their path to the red haired man training them_

Mysterious As_ - silence overtook the large group as the four men who had trained them spoke quietly among themselves farther away from them, sweat beading each soldier's forehead in anticipation_

The Dark Side Of_ - looking back at all of the men they had taught, the four trained killers slowly walked back towards them. Inserting their hands inside the opposite sleeves, all four men bowed to the soldiers._

The Moon_ - relief broke out on faces across the group, each one immediately bowing back to their trainers, happy to be finished the hell they went through._

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Looking across the soldiers with red eyes, the raven haired man turned to face Deidara, who was approaching him with his report.

"Itachi, it is just as you suspected." the man nodded, still staring intently at the blond, who shuffled his feet. "What do we do now?" turning his eyes back tot he stars, Itachi answered slowly.

"Tomorrow, tell the men to gather their things. At mid-day, we move out."

**AN: ok, there you go. I have figured out that I can wrap this up in four chapters if I make them really long. Anyways, to warn you, Deidara and Kisame are gonna be getting into a lot of fights next chapter, and Kisame is also going to be ranting a lot. And I don't know if I've already mentioned this, but if I haven't, Itachi is the unofficial leader. If you want Itachi OOCness, please review and tell me.**


	3. VOTE IT WILL HELP ME

Never Before

**Summary:** With the Huns closing in, the Emperor fears his kingdom will be destroyed. The new soldiers are clearly not ready and the Imperial Army does not have enough men for a war. Desperate, he sends his fastest messenger to the only person he can think of who can help them. He had heard of a deadly group of ninjas in Japan and hoped they would help. What he doesn't know is the leader of the group is his old friend's grandson and he decides to help his grandfather's friend. Will the soldiers be able to survive the intense training, or will the ninja have to stay and help with the war themselves? AkatsukixMulan crossover. Inspired by the video We Are Akatsuki! By Night Gaze and me loving the Akatsuki, add in me thinking of how awesome it is that the Akatsuki could beat the shit out of them and you get this. No pairings.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or Mulan or the Akatsuki, but I own the idea.

**AN: Okay, I am like, the worst person ever for putting this in here, but it's to help with the new chapter, so just bear with it please. I need to know if you all would like the story to stay as is (serious, but not to an extreme extent) or if you want humor in there. Cause I have a couple of humor-esk fights between the Akatsuki members and Shang planned out, but I'm only putting em in if you guys want em in. And just to let you know, the faster I gets the votes, the faster I can write (cause I'm at the point where I could pretty much include one right now, or I could work around it) This poll will be opening today and closing Saturday, when I get back from camp, but depending on the votes I get today, I'll probably still be typing it up, even if I have to change it when the poll is done.**

**So yeah, pick;**

**Funny Scenes**

**No Funny Scenes**

**I appreciate all votes, and seriously, this WILL help me work faster.**

**Ani~**


	4. POLL RESULTS

Never Before

**Summary:** With the Huns closing in, the Emperor fears his kingdom will be destroyed. The new soldiers are clearly not ready and the Imperial Army does not have enough men for a war. Desperate, he sends his fastest messenger to the only person he can think of who can help them. He had heard of a deadly group of ninjas in Japan and hoped they would help. What he doesn't know is the leader of the group is his old friend's grandson and he decides to help his grandfather's friend. Will the soldiers be able to survive the intense training, or will the ninja have to stay and help with the war themselves? AkatsukixMulan crossover. Inspired by the video We Are Akatsuki! By Night Gaze and me loving the Akatsuki, add in me thinking of how awesome it is that the Akatsuki could beat the shit out of them and you get this. No pairings.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or Mulan or the Akatsuki, but I own the idea.

**Okay peoples, I have officially closed the poll!. I let it run for an extra day cause I had a MOUNTAIN of homework. And when I say mountain, I mean Mount Everest type of rock XD Anyways, the results are in! It was close, and I mean REALLY close! I had no idea which side was going to win! But we finally have a winner!**

**Funny Scenes: 14 votes!!!!**

**No Funny Scenes: 0**

**(yeah, totally close, right? XD)**

**So funny scenes it is! I'll get right to typing those, but I have 2 projects, so no guarantee on when it'll be out. But I swear it will be out before the end of december! And if it ain't feel free to flame me, big time.**

**Who knows, if I feel up to it, I might write a special christmas fic! You guys get to choose lol (no its not a poll, just wanna know if you guys want one) If so, lemme know if you think there should be a pairing or pairings.**

**NOTE: no creepy pairings, such as GaixLee, GaaraxLee, GaaraxHinata, or anything else equally creepy/impossible. I apologize to those who like the pairings listed.**

**If I get no votes for pairings, then it will be like Never Before.**

**If I get no votes for the story, don't expect one unless I'm really in the mood.**

**Thanks all!!!**

**Ani~**


	5. Moving Out

Never Before

**Summary:** With the Huns closing in, the Emperor fears his kingdom will be destroyed. The new soldiers are clearly not ready and the Imperial Army does not have enough men for a war. Desperate, he sends his fastest messenger to the only person he can think of who can help them. He had heard of a deadly group of ninjas in Japan and hoped they would help. What he doesn't know is the leader of the group is his old friend's grandson and he decides to help his grandfather's friend. Will the soldiers be able to survive the intense training, or will the ninja have to stay and help with the war themselves? AkatsukixMulan crossover. Inspired by the video We Are Akatsuki! By Night Gaze and me loving the Akatsuki, add in me thinking of how awesome it is that the Akatsuki could beat the shit out of them and you get this. No pairings.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or Mulan or the Akatsuki, but I own the idea.

"Akatsuki kick ass" talking

_'Akatsuki kick ass' thoughts/flashbacks/dreams_

**'Akatsuki kick ass' any inners, I will tell you who**

-Akatsuki kick ass- noises

**AN: Note, when I refer to Mulan in this chapter, it will be as Mulan(Ping) because they haven't found out yet.**

Noon, Soldier's Camp

The rhythmic beating of clothed feet against the ground echoed in the cool afternoon air as the soldier's prepared to move out, per Itachi's orders. Everyone worked to be ready by the time the group headed out, lest they be left behind to deal with whatever or whomever happened upon them. Cruel, red eyes surveyed the men as they slowly all merged into a large group in front of the man and his teammates.

"We will be moving 160 kilometers north of our current location, to the Tung Shao Pass. There, we will continue on to the palace. Move out." he ordered, his strong, low voice, echoing to the back of the large group. A silent order was initiated, and Itachi, Kisame, Deidara, and Sasori took places around the group; Itachi in front, Kisame and Deidara taking up the left and right sides respectively, and Sasori bringing up the rear. The large group walked in silence, the tension in the air almost palpable. All attempts at small talk within the group were quickly smothered as none wanted to break the silence. One very brave soul decided he would try and start a song to make the time go by faster, but was immediately silenced by Itachi appearing in front of him and hissing to him that if he tried to so much as hum a single note, he would rip out his vocal chords to ensure he didn't make another sound. This shut the poor soldier (Ling) up for the rest of the trip.

The end of the day was approaching and the weary group was relieved to see the crest of the final hill before their destination. What they came upon, however, beyond that crest, left them all shocked, tense, and confused. Charred remains were all that were left of the once thriving village nestled between the mountains. Some fires still burned, an odd creaking and snapping sound accompanying the licking flames as the last of the moisture was sucked almost torturingly from the wood, leaving it to break and collapse in on itself. Shang stared at the scene, ordering the others to spread out and look for survivors, though he did not recognize his own voice. The silence and tension only increased as they all spread. And through the ravaged village they walked, all noticing the same thing; there were no bodies. Where were the villagers? The only ones unaffected were the hired ninja, who walked silently through the blackened snow, to the edge of a small drop off. They soon heard a shout to their right, and saw the captain join one of his troops to look down on the view presented to them. Littering the ground, soaking it with their blood, hundreds upon hundreds of bodies lay, impaled upon gruesome spears, pinned by wicked arrows, and decapitated by the sharpest blades.

Itachi sensed, more than saw, his team's sweeping eyes, finding the missing villagers, counting casualties, and slowly pulling together how many the enemy had on their side. Itachi had already estimated several hundred, all highly skilled. A slight nod from the puppet-master confirmed his suspicions. Sharingan swept the field themselves, searching for anything unusual, stopping on another approaching soldier, holding a blood-spattered helmet, the feather adorning it, ruffled, broken, and askew. The four approached the captain as he took the headpiece, only staring at in what could be described as horrified confusion. He turned, walking slowly, heavily, away from the group, leaving deep prints in the oddly crisp, white snow. Drawing his sword, he drove it into the cold ground, setting the helmet on its handle, and prayed.

(Now remember, you asked for this. They aren't as funny cause this is all, serious and crap. The others should (hopefully) be more chuckle-worthy)

Shang was pulled from his thoughts when a cold voice broke the surrounding silence.

"Stop grieving. We're moving out again." the captain stared up at Itachi, shocked by how cold and unfeeling the words were, and feeling a need to speak out against them.

"You....how can you be like this? Can't you give me some time to adjust? I just lost my father you bastard!" he ground out, not expecting the other's to speak before their leader.

"Oh please man, you think you've got it bad? It's a freaking war, he was bound to die at some point. Hell, my father tried to kill me!" Deidara chuckled, remembering that certain day.

"I don't even know what the hell happened to my father after I murdered my village....(1)" Kisame quipped, putting his own two cents in.

"I turned my father into a puppet." Sasori interjected, looking almost proud of his gruesome accomplishment.

"I killed my father." Itachi finished, talking about murder almost like he were discussing the weather.

"And Itachi wins again." the blonde sighed, causing the captain to look at him with an expression that said _'Again? What the hell do you mean by again??'_

"Well what were you expecting," Kisame answered, "he _always_ wins in this kind of competition. He does have a pretty fucked up past after all."

"Don't we all?" Deidara argued.

"See now, that's not the point." the ex-swordsman 'explained', enjoying the expression that came over his teammate's face.

"Well if that's not the point, why does he always win?" the bomber shot back, getting very confused.

Kisame chuckled. "You're an idiot."

"What?!"

"You heard me."

The Uchiha prodigy blocked out his groups bickering and turned to Shang, who only stared at the two incredulously. Sneering slightly, Itachi walked over and pulled the captain up forcefully by the back of his shirt, almost choking him in the process. Then, dragging him across the snow, he dumped the man on to Deidara and Kisame, who only groaned and stared at him for an explanation.

"We're moving out. Since _he_ hasn't managed to pull himself together yet, you two get to carry him as punishment for bickering too damn much." Itachi explained, silencing the inevitable second groan with a glare. Deidara and Kisame sighed, pulling themselves to their feet and were about to pick up Shang when he shoved them off, almost leaping towards Itachi with a crazed look in his eye. Just as he opened his mouth to let loose whatever tirade he had planned, the prodigy silenced him as well, with more than a glare. "Listen to me closely, you ungrateful little ass; We, as a team, were sent on a mission to help stop the Huns from _destroying_ everything you know. No where in there does it say that I should be an over-sensitive twat(2). Neither does it say that I have to make sure everyone lives to see the enemy die. It simply says 'kill the Huns'. So do not tempt me right now. I am sick and tired of you not being able to control your emotions, letting them over-ride your sense of duty. Be silent until we reach the capital, or I will have no qualms making sure everyone knows there _never was_ a Captain Li Shang." hissing the last part, the Uchiha prodigy turned swiftly, knowing his threat had done its job. Shang only stared after him, mouth partially agape until Deidara and Kisame grabbed his arms, dragging him forward off his feet and through the snow after Itachi, the troops following behind.

Some hours passed in tense silence. Shang sulked near the back of the group, wanting to be as far from Itachi as possible after his threat. When the prodigy next called a halt to let everyone have a brief rest, he called for Deidara and sent him ahead to scout out the terrain and location of the enemy. They then continued on, trudging through the deep snow of the mountain side. Deidara had arrived back and just finished his report when an explosion drew everyone's attention to Mulan(Ping). Everyone else stared as Shang ran up to her, yelling that she had given away their positions. A sharp sound, of wind passing over an object, confirmed Itachi's suspicions when it hit Shang in the shoulder. Whirling around, he faced the thousands of others and drew on his chakra, forming and heating it into the Phoenix Flower jutsu.

As the rest of the troops fell back out of range, Deidara and Sasori covering their backs, Itachi called Kisame to put out the fire on the following arrows as he burned them. This proved to be a problem.

"Itachi! Keeping the water unfrozen is taking up too much of my chakra!" the other man only grunted as he released another round of fire. Cannons sounded behind him and he knew the troops were firing upon the Huns. Itachi cursed, knowing if it kept up for too long, the mountain snow would collapse and drag them all down with it. The group watched as the mist dissipated and revealed the hundreds, possibly thousands, of Huns, lead by Shan Yu. The battle cry echoed over the mountain as the Huns poured over the mountain side, covering the snow completely. The troops drew their swords, but the ninja had a better idea.

"Deidara." Kisame looked over at the blonde as he spoke. Said ninja just smirked and hopped on to his clay bird, letting it circle before flying off towards a precariously placed cliff and its snow-covered side. Itachi watched a certain soldier run out in front and fire the last cannon at that same mountain side, the two explosions being more than enough to upset the delicate balance. Just as Shan Yu cut down Mulan(Ping), Deidara swooped down to let the others board as well. The four circled the avalanche, watching Mulan(Ping)'s horse try to save her, and then in turn having to save the captain. They watched them plummet off the cliff and their comrades fail to save them, and finally watched the arrow shoot of the oblivion and the soldiers pulling them to safety. Landing, Itachi immediately sent Deidara back out again when Mulan(Ping) collapsed.

Hours later, the group were all gathered around the tent Mulan(Ping) was being bandaged in, Kisame and Deidara ranting behind them all;

_"I mean, come on! Passing out from a cut in the side!"_

_"We bleed nearly half to death and still keep going."_

_"I freaking lost my arm and I kept going!"_

_"Stupid soldier's a wimp! A cut in the side would be like a paper cut for us!"_

_"IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII know, but APPARENTLY the poor baby soldier over there couldn't handle the 'pain'!"_

_"I'd like to see her last one day in the Akatsuki."_

Luckily, none of the soldiers heard the last comment, but it seemed it did not matter. Only seconds later, the doctor emerged and whispered something to Shang. The captain immediately barged into the tent and re-emerged with Mulan, chucking her into the snow.

"Treacherous snake."

**AN: Okay, I know that took FOREVER to come out, but I swear it's not my fault! My grandpa died recently, then I had to go to his funeral, and I had mountains of homework and tests, and Christmas shopping and dealing with my family and all that sorta stuff D:**

**1) I don't know if this actually happened....**

**2) I couldn't think of what else to put, and it kept popping up in my head!**

**I've also noted my writing changes in like, the middle of a chapter. Anyone else notice?**

**Please review and I will be posting the first...4 chapters of my Christmas fic soon!**


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